


Family meeting

by EirienGER



Category: Chicago Med, Chicago PD (TV)
Genre: Blood and Injury, Drugs, Explicit Language, Gen, Hospitalization, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Restraints, Swearing, Violence, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-06
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-12 01:33:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29877072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EirienGER/pseuds/EirienGER
Summary: Will is kidnapped and taken to an unknown location after his shift....
Comments: 6
Kudos: 39
Collections: 9-1-1 Tales





	Family meeting

**Author's Note:**

> This is the translated version of my story "Familientreffen", which I also posted in german here. 
> 
> Dislaimer: This fanfiction is just for fun. No money made, no copyright infringement is intended. All characters belong to their respective owners. This is a fictional story. Similarities with living persons or similar actions/events are purely coincidental and not intended.

  
  
Will had no idea how these people had managed to take him by surprise to drag him into a car. Before he even understood what was happening to him, he had been punched in the stomach. While his body was writhing, a black hood was pulled over his head, blocking his sight. Moments later he was handcuffed and did not dare to speak or even make a movement that could even be considered threatening or dangerous. He simply kept his hands pressed in front of his aching belly and he tried to keep his breathing under control, so he wouldn´t vomit.  
  
He knew that two men were sitting in the back seat of the car with him and that they had taken him into their midst after waiting for him at the exit of the Med. Neither spoke a word and the longer the ride went on, the more tense he became as the adrenaline of the initial shock slowly wore off. The ride continued, but after a while he felt the car make another sharp turn and then it stopped shortly after. A door was opened to his left and he was pulled from the back seat. His upper arms were held and he allowed himself to be led forward with unsteady steps.  
  
The flooring beneath his feet changed from sand and gravel to cement or concrete. He almost fell when he suddenly stepped into the void. But then he realized that there were steps leading down. The men held him upright and pulled him along, so that he stumbled down more than taking the stairs himself.  
  
His heart raced madly in his chest and he wished he could see where he was. His footsteps and his rushed breathing echoed off the walls. They were probably leading him down a hallway. Then he heard a door open. He was pushed forward and fell to his knees. Will tried to steady himself with his hands and he gritted his teeth as he scraped his palms on the rough floor beneath and when his knees hit the hard surface.  
  
The door was closed behind him and Will paused on his knees, listening. Was he alone in the room? Could he dare pull the hood off his head? He tried to let his breathing settle a little and waited.  
  
He heard something, but he could only make out that it was coming from a distance. Someone was in the room with him, but the breathing sounded shallow and strained. It sounded like the person who was also here, was definitely not healthy. After a moment, he dared to raise his hands. With trembling fingers, he reached for the hood and pulled it off his head.  
  
He blinked and it took a moment until his eyes adjusted to the semi-darkness in the room. Nervously, he turned his head to look around. Behind him he saw the door, a heavy metal door that they had closed immediately after he fell. The room was otherwise empty, the floor and walls were made of concrete. At the top right, under the ceiling, there was a narrow and barred window.  
  
Then, a little further back, he spotted the person who was also in the room with him. As far as he could see, it had to be a man. He was lying on his side, with his back turned to him. He appeared to be unconscious. He was wearing nothing but sweatpants and a dark T-shirt. He was barefoot.  
  
It flashed through Will's mind that it was far too cold to not be wearing a jacket, even in here. He was glad they hadn't taken his away. They had thoroughly searched the pockets of the jacket, had taken his cell phone and keys. His backpack was gone, too. But at least they had left him the jacket....  
  
Carefully, he pushed himself up and got back on his feet. Slowly he approached the person who had not moved so far. As he stepped closer, he realized who was lying there... Before he reached him, he called his name in disbelief.  
  
"Jay?", when he reached him he fell back to his knees and he let his gaze wander over his brothers motionless body.  
  
One of Jay´s hands had been handcuffed to a pipe sticking out of the wall. But what frightened Will much more was the fact, that Jay had obviously been brutally beaten.  
  
One side of his face was bloodshot, his lips split open, one eye swollen shut. He was bleeding from a head wound on the back of his head and now Will saw that at least two of the fingers on his free hand were broken. His feet were crusted with dried blood and he couldn't tell why yet. Shocked, he looked back at the door. Whoever had brought him here had done this to Jay.  
  
/  
  
\- Hours earlier -  
  
Jay had no idea how they had found out where he lived or what route he took for his daily jogs. They had to have been watching him, perhaps originally following him from the Precinct. The only thing he knew for sure at the moment was that two men were chasing him and his only chance was to outrun them.  
  
He had originally chosen one of his favorite routes on this crisp and rainy autumn morning, and he was now making his way to busier parts of the park. He had to make sure that he disappeared between crowds or behind buildings. That they lost sight of him...  
  
His pursuers were armed, that much he had been able to make out after he´d realized something was wrong. He himself had left his gun in his apartment, why should he have taken it with him?  
  
Out of breath, he made an arc to the left, taking a shortcut to the exit of the park. When he saw the passage to the larger street, he increased his speed once more. There were plenty of places across the street where he could hide and finally call for help with his cell phone.  
  
He left the park and turned his head to the left. In the corner of his eye he saw a light and he tried to stop. But he had been concentrating so hard on running, that the momentum took him another step into the street. He slipped on the wet ground, which was full of fallen leaves. He tried to catch himself and then he froze as he realized, that a car was heading straight for him.  
  
In the next instant the car collided with him and he felt himself being jerked off his feet and he was sliding across the hood. His left side collided with the windshield and he felt his arm getting pressed against his chest. Something cracked inside, but he didn't have the time to realize it properly. The car braked and came to a stop, causing him to slide over the hood again. Then his body hit the wet asphalt floor. He landed on his back, his head hit the ground and for a moment he almost blacked out, before the pain in his upper body and in his legs brought him back to reality.  
  
He tried to inhale, to pump air into his lungs, which were terribly hurting. He was still out of breath from the chase and now his body was just screaming for oxygen. His head throbbed painfully with each heartbeat and he felt dizzy. Only vaguely did he perceive someone leaning over him. It took a moment, but then he heard a female voice.  
  
"Oh my God!", she exclaimed. "I didn't see you! Are you okay?"  
  
Jay looked in the visibly shocked face of the driver, but he couldn't answer. He was still trying to catch his breath. The dizziness was getting worse. He heard more footsteps approaching on the wet asphalt and he turned his head. Then he realized that it was his pursuers. They had reached him. The woman flinched and raised her hands when she saw the weapons the men were now pointing at him.  
"Get out of here!", Jay pressed out and looked at the woman urgently. After a moment's hesitation, she understood and ran.  
  
The men stood over Jay and aimed their guns at his chest. He now slowly regained his breath, but he could not suppress a tremor that kept jolting through his body. He was probably in shock, it flashed through his mind.  
  
He remained motionless while the men seemed to consider how to proceed. Then one of the men pulled something out of his jacket pocket. He crouched down besides Jay while the other continued to point his gun it at him. Jay turned his head and realized at that moment, that the man was holding a syringe filled with a liquid.  
  
Out of a reflex, he turned on his side and grabbed the man's arm. The movement triggered an all-pervading pain in his upper body and he groaned, but he managed to get a grip on the arm of the man. With all the strength he could muster at that moment, he pushed the guy back, who was now toppling backwards. The movements sent violent waves of pain through Jay's battered body and the dizziness resumed. He concentrated on keeping the man's arm on the ground. He had to manage to get to the syringe...  
  
Obviously it was the accident or the shock, but he had completely forgotten about the second pursuer at that moment. Sensing movement at the edge of his field of vision, he turned his head. Then he felt a blow against his temple that knocked him sideways, back to the ground. He groaned softly and his eyes closed involuntarily. Then he felt an unpleasant sting near his collarbone. His body went limp and everything sank into darkness.  
  
/  
  
\- Present -  
  
Cautiously, Will felt for his brother's pulse. It was rapid and shallow, just like Jay's breathing. Then he noticed that Jay was running a fever. His hair was damp, despite the cold in the room. Will then palpated the affected eye socket, but it didn't appear to be broken. Carefully, Will lifted the shirt his brother was wearing and he winced.  
  
Jay's chest and abdomen were covered with bruises. He could be bleeding internally. What had happened? Could it all have been from the beating? He doubted it. Concerned, he watched Jay's breathing for a moment. Broken ribs could possibly have perforated his lungs. Jay's breathing was rapid, but he seemed to be able to breathe without difficulty, which calmed Will a bit for the moment.  
  
Slowly and with the utmost care, he turned him over onto his back, and he hoped that he would not do more damage by doing so. He remembered the hood that had been pulled over his head. It was lying on the floor beside him. He reached for it, crumpled it up a bit, and placed it under Jay's head. At least this way, the head wound wouldn't rest on the floor. But it definitely needed stitches.  
  
Since his brother hadn't woken up from the movement, he immediately went to test him for pain stimuli. Rubbing his knuckles over Jay's sternum, he watched his reaction closely. His eyelids fluttered a bit, but he didn't come to. At least Jay's protective reflexes were still active. He lifted Jay's eyelids but it was too dark to see if his pupils were reacting.  
  
His gaze landed on a red spot near Jay's collarbone and he bent down a little further. It looked like they had injected something. He quickly checked on Jay's arms as well. There was nothing there, but on his neck he found another puncture wound. Had these people drugged him?  
  
Then he checked on Jay's feet. Under the dried blood he found hematomas, but he suspected that nothing was broken. They had probably inflicted these injuries on him to torture him.  
  
He closed his eyes and would have preferred to block out the idea of what they had obviously done to him. But unfortunately, this was reality. He continued to analyze the injuries. Dirt in one of the wounds might have caused a Sepsis... he realized that there were a thousand possibilities as to why Jay was in the current state he was in.  
  
/  
  
\- Hours earlier -

After Jay had regained consciousness, he had noticed that his hands had been handcuffed in front of his body. His jacket was gone, as were his shoes and socks. After the initial dizziness had subsided, he dared to sit up. For the first few minutes he had felt no pain, probably due to what they had injected him with. It had allowed him to stand up and look around, to check out the room.

It was apparently a basement room, closed off by a metal door. A narrow basement window was situated on the outside wall. He walked over and raised his hands to check if he could reach the window. Then he felt the stabbing pain in his side again for the first time. He winced, but then he stretched and tried to reach the barred window. He grabbed the window ledge and pulled himself up a bit, which again sent a sharp pain into his upper body. The fingers of his other hand finally reached the grate and he realized that it was loose. Maybe this was a way to get out of here?

Then he heard the door unlock and he quickly lowered himself back down. Hitting the ground, he felt the bruises on his shins that had collided with the car's bumper. Shortly after, the pain returned to his entire body like a wave and he involuntarily sank to the ground. The effect of the drug had apparently finally worn off.

He raised his head and looked at the door, which swung open at that moment.

/

\- Present -

Will turned around as he heard the door open again. He stayed on his knees, but he moved a little in front of Jay's body. He was aware that he had no chance against those who held them, but he at least had to try to protect his brother from further harm.

Tense, he looked to the end of the room, which was now entered by a tall, dark-haired woman. Two tall men stood in the doorway behind her, probably the men from the van. They each held a gun, blocking the exit.

Will could do nothing about it, but fear gripped him at that moment and he raised his cuffed hands. He had to look visibly nervous to his captors and not like someone, who could protect Jay from anything. He swayed slightly as the woman approached him. She stopped about halfway across the room.  
  
"How is he, Dr. Halstead?", she then asked.

Okay, so she got right to the point, and she knew who he was. Of course, otherwise they could have brought any other doctor here.... Slowly, he put his hands back down.

"How is he?", he retorted and he wanted to sound angry, but his voice trembled slightly as he continued. "Are you serious? How long has he been lying here like this?"

"A few hours.", she looked past him to Jay before their eyes met again. "Why do you think you're here?"

"So I can help him. But how am I supposed to help him here? He needs to get to a hospital!"

"There's nothing we can do about the current circumstances, I'm afraid. You should understand that we have to exhaust our options. Your brother still owes some answers to my client."

"If you want answers from him, you shouldn't have put him in this condition!", Will replied. "He needs treatment, I need x-rays. He may have internal bleeding and -"

"I´ve just told you that that's not going to happen, Dr. Halstead. Wake him up so we can question him again. We need him to talk. That's why we brought you here."

Will swallowed, but his throat felt terribly dry. "I don't know what this is about. But it's possible that he won't make it through the night if I don't find out what's wrong with him. Then you'll never get your answers."

The woman stepped closer.

"If he doesn't make it through the night, then we have no more use for you either, Will,", she now used his first name. "It's a very simple equation. If he lives, you live. If he dies, you die."

Shocked, he stared at her. He didn't doubt for a second that she was telling the truth. He had to keep Jay - and thus them both - alive. But to at least have a chance, something had to change. He had to do his job.

"What did you give him?", he asked, therefore. "What drugs?"

The woman hesitated, but then she answered. "Ketamine to bring him here. Later, some LSD and GHB to get him to talk."

"Are you insane?", Will exclaimed and he was starting to get angry. "Do you have any idea how much this is affecting his circulation? We have Coronary Artery Diseases in the family, for gods sake!"

"So far, he still looks very much alive to me,", she returned. "Look, it's not my job to keep him alive. My job is to make him talk. You do your job, I'll do mine."

"By now you should have realized that my brother can take a lot."  
  
"That remains to be seen.", she replied with a slight smile.

"I'm not going to stand by and watch you torture him further."

"Do you have a choice?", she answered, unimpressed.

Will held her gaze but he knew he had absolutely no choice but to comply with her demands.

"Okay... He needs water.", he therefore said next. "And get these damn handcuffs off of us. I need to be able to move him. I need my hands, so I can take care of him properly! And I need a blanket, he can't stay on the cold floor."

The woman smiled. She was pretty, but her gaze was cold. She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a small key.

"Your hands." she said, stepping a little closer.

Will raised his arms again and he held still while she removed the cuffs. His eyes darted to the two gunmen, who were watching everything closely. "And my brother?", he then asked. "Can you please uncuff him as well?"

Lost in thought, he rubbed his aching wrists. She watched his every move, but probably didn't classify him as a threat.

"Nice try, but no.", she said, "For now, everything stays as it is. Prove to me that I can trust you and we'll talk more later."

/

\- Hours earlier -

Jay had tried everything. He had first tried to overpower the woman who had come in for questioning. But a blow to his injured ribs had sent him to the floor. A chair had then been brought in and his arms and legs were tied to the armrests and the legs of the chair. He had endured the blows to his face, that the woman kept placing in the same places to make it hurt more. He had endured the men breaking his fingers and shattering the bones of his feet. He had rebelled against the two men as they untied him from the chair and dragged him to the wall, where they cuffed his hand to the pipe. All this he had tried, as far as his condition would permit him to do it.

Every action was always accompanied by the same question: Name and address?

He knew exactly what name and address they wanted. But he would not reveal them. He would endure everything, but he would not betray his contact. That he was certain of, without question.

For several minutes he had been alone in the room again. Minutes, in which he had tried to pull his hand through the handcuff. His goal was to get to the window. It was his only hope for a way out. And the longer it took, the more damage they inflicted on his body. The less chance he had of breaking free.

When the door opened again, the three people approached him again.

"Name and address?", the woman asked one more time.

He just looked at her challengingly and a faint smile crossed his face when he noticed that she was obviously thinking about her further steps.

"Okay.", she then said. "Hold him."

She nodded to the men who stepped up to him and grabbed his arms and legs. Jay resisted, but by now he realized he could do nothing against them. He gave up resisting and watched tensely as the woman reached into her jacket pocket. She pulled out a Syringe. Involuntarily, everything in Jay tensed. Not again...  
  
The woman pulled a cap off the needle and lifted the Syringe vertically upwards. She squeezed out some liquid to let any air bubbles escape. Then she stepped closer and crouched down next to him. She put her hand on his chin and pushed his head to the side.

"Wait!", he groaned breathlessly, hating himself for letting his fear show.

"Name and address?", she merely returned as she paused for a moment.

Jay gritted his teeth and his thoughts raced. He knew there was nothing he could say to stop her, except the information she wanted from him. But he was also aware that they would kill him as soon as he´d talked.

"Okay. Then we'll continue.", she said after a few seconds and in the next moment he felt the needle in his neck. The woman leaned over to him while she continued to hold his chin. She whispered in his ear. "In two hours we'll see if I can finally get you to talk. I'm going to give you the horror trip of your life."

Then they let go of him and moved back towards the door. Jay looked after them, waiting to see if the drug she had injected him with would take effect. But nothing happened... he felt nothing. What was this all about? Was this all just a mind game? He went back to trying to free his hand. While he pulled and tugged at the pipe with his uninjured hand, he felt himself getting unbearably warm all at once.

He paused for a moment and turned his head when he heard a noise next to him. But there was nothing... he was alone in the room. He began to sweat and he felt himself getting sleepy. The drug seemed to be taking effect after all. Again he heard a noise, this time on the other side. His head shot to the side. But there was no one there. Astonished, he looked around. He blinked and wondered what they had given him. Was he experiencing hallucinations?

He leaned against the wall and tried to breathe slowly and evenly. He had to try to stay lucid. Then his eyes wandered up to the window and the light that shone in seemed all at once much brighter than before and it refracted in a variety of colors. He closed his eyes and he did not notice that he drifted away all at once. Only when he heard the woman's voice again did he open his eyes.

"... it has now reached its maximum effect.", he heard her say.

How much time had passed? He could not tell. He felt tired, but at the same time he felt the urge to give free rein to his emotions. The woman smiled at him and he returned her smile. She looked good, but now Jay could also see that she was already dead inside. Emotionless, cold, jaded. Her eyes betrayed her... his smile died and he could almost feel her darkness inside him.

"You don't want this...", he heard himself say and then he had to laugh at himself.

Why had he just said that out loud? Confused, he turned his head to the side, but she clasped his chin again, forcing him to look at her.

"You bet I do, Handsome. Let's get started."

All that followed then, was pain.

/

\- Present -

Upset, Will watched as the door closed behind the woman and he heard it getting latched. Then his eyes fell on Jay´s pale and sweaty face. He took in a deep breath. If they had already brought him here, why didn't they give him the opportunity to actually help him?

He turned back to him and leaned down. He put his ear to his chest and listened. As far as he could tell without a Stethoscope, his breath sounds were good on both sides. Then he carefully palpated Jay's abdomen. Again, at least there were no alarming findings, as far as he could tell.  
  
Next, he took off his jacket and placed it in front of him. Carefully, he lifted Jay's limp torso a bit and slid the jacket under him so that at least, he was no longer lying on the cold floor completely. Slowly, he lowered him back down and he made sure his head was once again pillowed on the hood.

He sighed and he ran his hand nervously over his forehead. What else could he do? Check for more broken bones, fix Jay's fingers while he was still unconscious to keep him from more pain? However, all these were not the things that actually had current priority. But he continued, because he had to do something.

With practiced hand movements he checked Jay's arms and legs, the pelvis, the shoulders. Nothing else seemed to be broken. Aside from the broken ribs, bruises and cuts, at least this was something.

He didn't know how much of the administered drugs were still in Jay's bloodstream. Therefore, he could not estimate when he would regain consciousness and what his physical and mental condition would be.

He pulled his sweater over his head and then he took off the shirt of his workwear, that he was wearing underneath as well. After slipping back into the sweater, he looked for a seam on the hem of the Shirt. He ripped open the seam and with some force, he managed to tear a usable strip from the fabric. Then he carefully took Jay's hand in his palm and with the other, he grasped his little finger, which was sticking out at an unnatural angle. With one movement he brought the finger back into the right position. He did the same with Jay's ring finger and he was grateful, that his brother did not wake up during the procedure. He then tied the cloth around the two broken fingers and middle finger of Jay's hand to stabilize them.

Then he noticed Jay's hand was moving. He quickly put it back down. He bent over him and felt his pulse. Then he saw that Jay opened his eyes briefly, but then he immediately closed them again. He put his hand on the uninjured side of his face.

"Hey, stay awake. Jay, open your eyes.", he said gently.

He noticed that Jay's body tensed and that he was trying to turn to the side. In the next moment, Will realized that his brother had to throw up. He helped him turn and Jay groaned in pain. Then he retched, but his stomach seemed completely empty. Will tried to prop him up a bit so he could stay on his side. Shortly after, Jay's retching stopped, but his body was now noticeably shaking under Will's hands.

"It's okay.", he said, gently stroking his back. He felt terrible that he couldn't do more "Breathe. It'll be better in a minute. It's the aftereffect of the Butanoic acid..."

After a moment, Jay's breathing actually calmed down. "Will?", he then asked.

"Yes, I'm here.", he replied, helping him turn over onto his back again.

Jay was visibly disoriented and it was hard for him to focus on him at first.

"What... You're not supposed to be here. You're not here.", he said as his body shook and their eyes finally met.

"I'm afraid I am. They brought me here.", Will returned. „Is your breathing okay?“

"You can't be here. This isn't real.", he repeated, closing his eyes again.

Despair spread through Will. Jay still seemed to be under the influence of the drugs, perhaps thinking this was a hallucination. He had to get his brother to stay awake and he had to slowly bring him back to reality. A completely stupid and absurd story came to his mind.  
  
„Hey, remember when you used to look for your favorite football all over the house and yard? At one point you thought the neighbor's dog had buried it."

Jay opened his eyes again and frowned while he probably tried to remember. Will continued.

"Anyway, I had taken the ball. I had it hidden in the very back of my closet because I was jealous of you. The neighborhood kids would rather play with you than with me."

"It wasn't like that..." Jay returned weakly.

"I forgot about the stupid football and found it again sometime later. I felt so bad that I didn't give it back to you. I still have the stupid ball and... I, uh... I don't even know why I'm telling you this."

Tears came to his eyes and he quickly wiped them away. Then he felt Jay's bandaged hand against his cheek.

"It's all right, Will. I have a new ball.", he said, smiling weakly. Then he took his hand back down.

Will had to laugh for a moment. "Okay."

Jay nodded encouragingly and watched him. Apparently he was starting to get clearer. "I can't believe you're here."

"Yeah.", Will grimaced. "No more than you should be here. What do they want from you?"

"Name and address... Of one of my CI´s.", Jay answered strained.

"And why? What's this all about?"

"The less you know, the better.", Jay coughed and Will slid to the end of his head.

He leaned against the wall and then he gently pulled Jay, along with his jacket, towards him. He grasped his torso and leaned him against him a bit, so that Jay's upper body was at least elevated, which should make it easier for him to breathe and to help with the nausea.

"I'm not a baby.", he heard Jay say then.

Will snorted and lowered his head to look at him. "Just lie there like that. How's your breathing? Okay?", he asked him, and he felt Jay nod slightly.

For a moment they sat like that, then Jay coughed again. Will's concern grew and he decided to keep talking to Jay. On the one hand, to keep him awake, and on the other, to reassure himself.

"What did they do to you?", he asked him.

"I walked in front of a car,", Jay answered quietly.

"Excuse me?"

"They... the men chased me and I got hit. Then I woke up here and they tried to get something out of me.", he coughed again. „Beating me.“

"Damn, Jay...and then what? When did they give you the drugs?"

"I don't know...the woman was back. I don't know. I can't remember.", Jay explained in a shaky voice.

"Obviously, you still didn't talk. You're feeling the after effects of the drugs now. If they come back in, I'll try to get something that will help you, okay?"

"If I talk, they'll kill us. They're not going to help me.", Jay returned. "You need to make sure you get away, okay?"

Will frowned. There was no way he was going to leave Jay here. Before he could say anything, the door was opened again. The woman walked in and the two men stopped in the doorway again.  
  
"What a beautiful picture.", she said as she approached. "But you two had plenty of family time now."

Will watched as the two men stepped inside and everything tensed inside him. He felt Jay try to straighten up, but he put his arms around him and held him tight.

"Keep your hands off him.", he said as the men now approached. One of them grabbed his arm and pulled him up roughly, causing Jay's body to slide off of him as he was forced to stand up. "Don't touch him!", he then shouted to the other man, who gave Jay a swift kick in the side. "Stop it!"

Will watched his brother's face contort in pain and he heard him cough again as he himself was pulled further over to the woman. Then the man stopped and his arm was twisted backwards. His gaze drifted back to the woman.

"Thanks to you, we can now continue.", she said with a smile.

She glanced briefly at Jay to make sure he was following what was happening. Then she unexpectedly punched Will in the face. His head was thrown to the side and he was amazed at how hard she could hit. Another blow followed in the same spot, sending a sharp, piercing pain through his cheekbone. He raised his hand and pressed it against his cheek, but the man forced him to his knees by twisting his other arm further, pulling it upward and applying pressure to his shoulder. Will went to the ground and braced himself with his free hand to keep from toppling to the side.

Then he was released and he gasped. The woman circled him and buried her fingers in his hair. She pulled his head back and in the next second he felt a blade at his throat. He froze. It ran very lightly over his skin and he thought he felt the cut begin to bleed. Maybe she had a scalpel? Or a razor?

"Stop it!", Will now heard his brother shout in a hoarse voice.

"You can stop this anytime you want, Detective.", the woman replied, and she let go of his hair. "It's entirely up to you."

A kick carried Will to the side and he landed on his shoulder. More kicks to his torso followed and he tried to curl up and get into a protective position. He put his arms up to protect his head.

"Stop!", Jay yelled now, as loud as his condition would allow.

The kicks stopped and Will lay there, breathing heavily. Then one of the men pulled him up again and he got back on his knees as he felt an arm wrap around his neck.

"Name and address?", he heard the woman ask.

"Nigel Madsen." he heard Jay now say dully, then he gave her an address in Canaryville.

The next moment Will felt himself being let go and he slumped back to the floor. He lay motionless and waited until the door was locked again. Only then did he dare to push himself up. His entire upper body and head ached. He touched his neck and he suspected he would find lots of blood there. But it wasn't as bad as he had first feared.

"Will, listen to me.", Jay said now. He was out of breath and he looked at him with panic in his eyes. "They're going to kill us both. I want you to get out of here now."

He straightened up, swaying, and came closer. With his heart racing, he looked down at his brother. "I'm not leaving you behind."

"They're using you to make me talk. Don't you understand?", Jay's eyes suddenly filled with tears. "I can take anything. But I can't stand to watch them hurt you. Okay?"

Will wondered at Jay's words. He had no idea Jay felt that way.  
  
"But you gave them the address now?", he asked, confused.

"Nigel Madsen was already killed during a deal last year! The address is an unoccupied apartment that we use for surveillance. I can't tell them what they want to know. My informant has family, he's a key witness in an important trial. I will not betray him, do you understand? That's why you have to do what I tell you. They're going to find out I lied very quickly!"

Jay coughed again and Will saw blood in his mouth. Jay needed to get to a hospital as soon as possible. Will's heart was pounding in his throat while he considered what to do.

"The window under the ceiling. The bars aren't bolted down. Pull at the grate.", Jay continued, now that he had caught his breath. "Before they cuffed me to the pipe, I had been trying to get out of there."

Will stared at him. There was his answer what he could do. But that would mean leaving Jay behind. He shook his head.

"You've got to get up there and pull yourself out. Do it!", Jay urged him.

Will glanced at the opening. "It's too narrow, I can't fit through there!"

"It fits! Now get on with it! This is our only chance. They'll be right back after they check the address. Go!"

He hesitated for a moment, but then Will approached the wall where the window was situated. The ceilings were high, but he was able to reach the window ledge with his hand and pull himself up a little. He passed the fingers of his other hand through the rough grating and then he pulled on it. After a moment it actually gave way and he was able to pull it out. He let go of the ledge and came back to the ground. He put the grate down beside him. Then he looked over at Jay again.

"What if I can break something off the grate and uncuff you?", he asked. "Then I'll help you to get out."

"No time.", Jay replied as he looked at him with glazed eyes.

"Jay...", Will tried again.

"Don't be so stubborn! Listen to me just this once, okay? Get out of here!" Jay blurted out. He was visibly agitated.

It took all Will could muster to leave him here in this state and knowing, that he might be in for worse if these people came back.

But Jay was right, he might have the opportunity to call for help. He went back to the window and pulled himself back up. With his elbow, he hit the plain glass, which shattered moments later. With the sleeve of his sweater he wiped aside some of the shards as he tried to enlarge the opening to fit through. He removed as much glass from the frame as possible. He had to make another attempt as the strength in his arm left him, but then he pulled himself up again with both arms and he used the momentum to push his shoulders through the narrow opening. He tightened his arms and searched outside for support to pull himself further. After a moment, his fingers closed around a protrusion and he heaved himself further out.

His upper body ached from the kicks he had taken, but he tried not to let it distract him now. His foot caught on a piece of glass still in the frame and he winced. But then he was out. He was free and a cold wind was hitting him.

He turned on his back and his gaze traveled up the wall of the building. It was an old, run-down house, obviously unoccupied. It was pitch dark outside, the moon hiding behind thick rain clouds. Looking around, he could make out the lights of a few houses farther away. They had to be on the outskirts of town. How was he going to find help here? He got to his knees and pushed himself up.

As he got to his feet he felt a sharp pain in his right leg and it buckled away. He looked down. He couldn't see much in the darkness, but as he brought his hand down he felt the warm liquid of his blood seep through the thin fabric of his workwear. He had cut himself on the glass, but he couldn't make out how bad it was. Apparently it had hit a tendon, but he had to keep going.  
  
Limping, he walked around the building, hoping that he could spot something nearby on the other side from where he could call for help. As he turned the corner, he saw a person with a flashlight leave the building and he hid behind the corner again. He waited and listened until he was sure the person hadn't noticed him, then he rounded the corner.

A little further away, there were houses again. He could definitely reach these faster than in the other direction. He started walking, but then he heard a loud bang behind him. He winced and looked back at the house. Had the kidnappers just shot Jay? No, he said to himself, they couldn't shoot their only source to get the information they wanted.... Or could they?

He still stood in place, hesitant and heart pounding. What should he do? Go back or keep running? Then, he started moving again. As he continued to run through the darkness, he kept stumbling. His leg felt increasingly numb. He tried to make as little noise as possible, but it was difficult since he could not see what was in front of him. Then suddenly, he stepped into the void and he felt himself falling.

His shoulder and head hit the side of something, as he fell and continued to slide. Then his feet hit ice-cold water and he slumped against a wall. He tried to support himself with his hands so that he wouldn't land completely in the water, which reached about to his knees. Dazed, he groped around him and he realized that he must have fallen into an old shaft, possibly an old well. He raised his eyes and looked up, while his head sent out throbbing pains.

He wondered if his pursuer had heard when he slid down here and when he´d hit the water? At that moment he did not worry about how to get out of here, but only about the silhouette of his pursuer appearing above him. With a pounding heart, he continued to look up while trying to be as quiet as possible.

The blood rushed in his ears, but then he was sure that he heard footsteps approaching. He closed his eyes and prayed that the guy hadn't heard him. He looked up again, trying to keep his breathing under control so he wouldn't give himself away. Then a bright light blinded him and he flinched. He raised his hands.

"Don't shoot!", he shouted in sudden panic.

"You son of a bitch! It's your fault that she shot my buddy!", the man yelled and Will froze.

If what the man said was true, then hopefully the shot he had heard had not been meant for Jay. Hope sprouted in him as he waited in fear to see what would happen now.

"Come up here! Come on!", the man bent down and held the flashlight, so Will could see the insides of the well.  
  
Will put his hands down. He looked around in the glow of the flashlight, wondering how he was going to make it back up. He put one foot on a rock that jutted out a little from the wall, but he slipped and landed on his injured leg. He clenched his teeth and sucked in a sharp breath.

"Stop whining and climb up here, Asshole!", the man shouted. "Can't be that hard!"

Will tried again. He tried to grab a rock further up to pull himself up, but he slipped again.

"Moron!", the man was now lying on his stomach to reach further down the shaft. He put the gun on the edge of the well and held only the flashlight in his other hand, shining it down. "Again!", he ordered him.

Will tried to find his footing with his uninjured leg and reached up. The guy caught his wrist this time. Then he dropped the flashlight, which sank into the water next to Will. With both hands, the man pulled him up, over the heel of the fountain.

At that moment Will realized that the gun must be close to him and he tried to grab it as the man now pulled him fully out. He came to rest on his stomach and his fingers merely brushed the gun before the man realized what he was about to do.

In the next instant he was on top of him, pressing a knee into his back and pressing his face against the ground. Will groaned as the man shifted his weight even more onto his knee, putting even more pressure on his already bruised back. He put his arms to his sides and wanted to push up, to twist, to try anything to get him off of him. But then he felt the barrel of the gun in his neck.

"What are you doing, Asshole?", the man asked, out of breath. Will paused, hoping he wouldn't break his back as he pressed him down again. But then the pressure lessened and Will breathed a sigh of relief. He could still feel the gun against his head. "Hands behind your back.", the man then ordered.

Will put his arms behind him and only seconds later he felt the metal of the handcuffs wrapping around his wrists. He closed his eyes for a moment and cursed inwardly. He knew that had been his only chance to get help and he had failed. The man finally put the gun away, grabbed his upper arms and pulled him up. Will winced as he put weight on his injured leg, but the guy pushed him forward, so he had to keep going.

They approached the house again and Will's mind raced. What could he do while he was still out here? Could he possibly take advantage of any element of surprise? Desperately, he tried to think of something.

Then he flinched when he was blinded by a light once more. The man stopped and held him. Will feared it was the woman already waiting for them, but then he heard a male voice.

"Chicago PD! Freeze!"

With a jerk, Will was yanked backwards and the guy pulled him back with him a step or two. Will stumbled against him and he looked into the light. The man was using him for cover.

"Don't reach for your gun!", the other voice now shouted. "Let go of him and put your hands up!"  
  
  
In the next moment Will heard three shots. First one, the other two somewhat delayed. He noticed how the man finally let go of him, how he stumbled back and then he saw that he went down behind him.

He didn't understand what exactly had happened, but only now did he notice the pain that all at once spread from his shoulder, radiating into his upper body in a split second. He lowered his head and in the light of the flashlight he saw the blood pouring from the bullet wound.

A through and through... The thought was crossing his mind before his legs gave way and he toppled backwards. He came to rest almost softly on the ground, which was overgrown with plants. He looked up into the dark night. He knew he had to stay awake.

Seemingly endless seconds passed in which he had the feeling that nothing was happening. He was aware that he was in shock and he blinked against the dizziness that seized him all at once. Then a face loomed over him and he was surprised to recognize Officer Ruzek. Hectically, the latter felt for his pulse and then he pressed his palm flat against the bullet wound. Will groaned as the pain exploded all at once while the Officer applied pressure to the wound.

"5021 Ida, shots fired by the Police. One suspect down. One victim with gunshot wound. Follow-up alert for another Ambo." Will realized the officer had been talking into his radio, but now he turned to face him. "Look at me, Will. Stay awake, okay? Everything's going to be okay."

Will began to shake. "Where ... Is Jay...?", he pressed out.

"We found Jay, help is on the way for both of you. Stay awake, okay?"

Will noticed him slowly drifting away. He mustered all his willpower, he had something to tell the Officer.

"Jay needs... Needs chest and abdominal CT, head CT.... and Tox screen -", there was more he wanted to say, but all at once his eyes fell shut and then there was nothing.

/

\- Minutes earlier -.

"You´re useless!" the woman yelled and she pulled a gun out of her waistband all at once. "Go upstairs and find his damn brother!", she then ordered the other man, who stared in shock at his colleague. "Now! He can´t be far."

The second man started moving and disappeared from Jay's field of vision.

"I'm sorry... I didn´t" the other man was trying to apologize. He put his hands up. Apparently, he should have been guarding them.

"Don't even try!", she stopped him.  
  
  
Jay winced when he heard the gunshot and when the man slumped to the floor, lifelessly. The woman had literally freaked out when she had realized that Will had made it out of the room. Apparently, she eliminated any weak point from her plan immediately. She re-entered the basement room. She came towards Jay and put the barrel of the gun to his temple. The metal was still warm from the shot and Jay tilted his head to the side.

"When he brings your brother back, you're going to wish you had given me the right address, you little piece of shit! I'm going to peel the skin off his bones. You're going to beg me to leave him in one piece."

A shiver ran through Jay´s body as she spoke the words. She straightened up again and took a step back as she lowered the gun. Full of rage, she stared at him and Jay knew that if Will was caught outside, she would make good on her threats.

Then suddenly, her eyes wandered upwards, towards the ceiling of the room. She must have heard something and Jay also now realized that footsteps could be heard from above.

"Your brother's obviously not the brightest, huh?", she said now, smiling. "The first thing I'm going to do is cut his pretty face."

Full of fear, Jay looked after her as she turned and headed back to the door. But then she stopped, as several people rushed into the room with guns raised....

/

\- Present -

When Will regained consciousness, he saw only blurred outlines at first, but the colors of his surroundings told him that he must be in a Hospital. He turned his head, then his eyes finally focused. He spotted a blond mop of curls next to him and blue eyes watching him intently.

"Hailey?", he asked sleepily when he finally recognized her.

She was sitting next to his bed and she was smiling.

"Hey, Will. How are you?", she asked.

It took him another moment to realize what had happened. Until he remembered everything again.

"Is Jay okay?", he then asked immediately, looking at her piercingly.

"He's fine,", she answered quickly. "he sent me here to check on you and report back to him. So, how are you?"

He lowered his head a bit and looked at the hospital gown, under which a bandage had probably been placed on the bullet wound. Carefully, he moved his right foot. He was not in pain, as they probably gave him enough painkillers. He looked around and only now he realized that he was in a room in the Trauma ward.  
  
"I'm fine,", he answered her question. Then a terrible feeling gripped him. "Hailey, there was nothing I could do to help Jay. I was completely useless. I tried to call for help, but-"

"Stop, Will.", she interrupted him. "You don't have to blame yourself in the least. Jay's going to be okay, and so are you. Everything's going to be fine."

He glanced at her and finally nodded. "What exactly happened?"

"Adam had to shoot you, unfortunately. One of the kidnappers had reached for the gun and had used you as a shield. Adam blames himself insanely. He was here the whole time before the Sergeant sent him home for a few hours of sleep."

Will nodded, deep in thought. "Tell him it's okay,", he then returned.

"Tell him yourself when he comes back in,", she smiled. "He'll be relieved."

"How did you find us?"

"Thanks to you.", she replied and he looked at her in surprise. "When you were kidnapped outside the exit of the Med, several cameras recorded it. We were able to continue tracking the car that the kidnappers had used. Traffic control pointed us in the right direction and led us to the area where they had taken you."

"These people...how could they do this to Jay? What was that about?", he asked.

"I'm not allowed to tell you too much about that, unfortunately. It's an ongoing investigation. But the woman we arrested is a wanted Murderer who was hired to get Jay to talk. And then probably to kill him. She would have killed you both. Without your kidnapping, we probably wouldn't have found Jay in time."

Will shook his head cautiously. "Your work... I couldn't do it,", he said thoughtfully. "How can you stand it?"

Hailey smiled. "I ask myself the same thing every day about your work, Will, I guess you just have to be born for it, don't you?" She took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I'll let you rest a little longer and send someone in to check on you, okay?"

Will nodded cautiously. "Please tell Jay I'm glad he's okay," he said then. "Tell him I..." He stopped and lowered his eyes. They hadn't been raised to talk about their feelings. It felt strange for him to say it out loud.

"He knows that, Will," Hailey beat him to it, and he looked at her again. "Let's hope the next time you want to talk about your feelings, it doesn't take such a painful Family meeting."

"Who said anything about wanting?", Will retorted and he grimaced. "Jay and I never talk about.... Something like that."

Hailey laughed softly and let go of his hand. "I'll come back later. Get some rest." Then she stood up and approached the door. She turned around again for a moment. "By the way, Jay told me to tell you also... well... You know."  
  
  
Will nodded to her again gratefully and smiled while she left the room.

\- The End -


End file.
